After our stay in Tasmania, we flew from Hobart to Brisbane, rented a car and drove south to Byron Bay. Along the 2 hour drive we stopped at the coolest ropes course near the Gold Coast called Currumbin Tree Tops Zipline. The course had 3 levels of difficulty that meandered through the trees over a wildlife sanctuary. This must be how Koalas see the world.
Before we knew it the boys had taken off trying to race ahead of me. It was only at the points where they needed help reaching a platform when I caught up to them. Gina overcame a fear of heights, and I overcame a fear of ziplining over crocodiles. Yes, you zipline over a crocodile lagoon! Once you tire of the ropes course, and you will tire unless you’re accustomed to a ropes course, the connected wildlife sanctuary (zoo) provides a wonderful setting to view the animals of Australia. After our afternoon on the ropes course we headed to our final destination near Byron Bay on the Australian coast.
I wanted to the kids and I to learn how to surf on this trip and the beautiful beaches in the Byron Bay area provide the perfect waves for such an endeavor. When we arrived, the junior surfing championships were taking place right next to where we stayed. Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect to witness some of the best up and coming groms compete. I think even Kelly Slater would’ve been impressed, if not jealous, of the tricks these kids were pulling off.
This area quickly became my favorite spot in Australia for its laid back vibe, beautiful beach and natural environment. The area is not overdeveloped and if you rose early in the morning, you typically had the beach to yourself. I took advantage of this and ran several miles each day because the beach is wide and flat. One day I even witnessed an Eagle catch a huge fish right out of the ocean, fly to within 20 feet of me and begin eating it right there. Gnarly indeed.
The quaintness of this place is notable and if you’re lucky you may even bump into a certain Hollywood legend known for his hammer and ability to control thunder. One night we were lucky enough to “assemble” on the beach together.
Outside of the beach, Byron Bay provides plenty of restaurants and shops for tourists looking for those things. Also, most of the surf instructors work out of there. However, if you’re the adventurous type, I would just recommend renting a board yourself, putting in where the waves look good and have at it. People are overly nice in this part of the country and we were able to meet several surfers who shared some secrets for us lowly beginners.
One thing to note – you can fly directly into Gold Coast or Ballina airport from Sydney or Melbourne instead of Brisbane to reduce driving time. Rookie mistake on our part. Also, the hinterland west of the beach towns is supposedly very pretty if you have some time to explore on a non-beach day.
Have you surfed the Gold Coast?
